Tottenham focuses on keeping Bale

London

Despite narrowly missing out on a Champions League place for a third straight season, Tottenham wants to secure its star player, with an announcement expected imminently on Gareth Bale's proposed new deal, worth up to £150,000 a week.

The Wales winger was due to travel with the squad to the Bahamas for an exhibition match against Jamaica on Thursday. Tottenham's billionaire owner, Joe Lewis, is based in the Bahamas.

Manager Andre Villas-Boas said: ''You have to hold on to your best assets. If we want to make it better next season we have to hold on to our best assets and this is what I have been told from the top.''

Bale was voted Footballer of the Year by both the Professional Footballers' Association and Football Writers' Association for a season in which he scored 31 goals.

Carlo Ancelotti is expected to replace Jose Mourinho as manager at Real Madrid and he is a big admirer of the Spurs winger.

Mourinho, meanwhile, cleared an obstacle to his proposed return to Chelsea on Monday by agreeing to forgo £17 million in compensation. After a 30-minute meeting with Florentino Perez, the Real president, it was announced Mourinho would depart by mutual consent after Madrid's final match on June 1.